Trailer hitch for 2020 Prius Prime?

Apologies. Must be the 2" receiver hitches fit differently.

Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.

 

We don't know why Toyota said no hitch no way no how. We don't know if it is due to the drivetrain unable to reliably pull much of a trailer, or the brakes unable to stop one, or the frame unable to either pull or support much weight.

For a bike rack...a feather weight carbon fibre road bike carried close to the car is one thing. Two e-bike mountain bikes on a rack driven over a bumpy road.....might get expensive.

 

In Europe, the Prius is rated for 750kg. Under UK trailer regulations, the maximum tongue weight for such a trailer load is 75kg. 165 pounds is probably a reasonable limit for hitch accessories like bike mounts.

In the US, a trailer's tongue weight is a higher portion of the trailer weight; 20% to the UK's 10%. This makes the trailer more stable at speeds over 60mph. Europe has a hard speed limit of 55 to 60 mph for cars towing. The tongue weight is the amount of the trailer weight actually carried by the car's, rear in most cases, suspension. Assuming that is the hard limit Toyota used for determining the tow rating for Europe, a US spec loaded trailer will have a max weight of about 825lbs. More likely lower as the SAE procedure for determining this is tougher than what the auto companies use in Europe.

With the weight of the traction pack, the Prime may not have a tow rating even in Europe.

 

In the Netherlands the Prius has a 725kg rating and 60kg tongue weight. Those numbers are according to the European type approval for the vehicle.
The Prius Plug-in has a rating of 0kg and a tongue weight of 0kg.
Max speed with trailers is 80 to 100km/h in Europe with the exception of France which allows 130km/h.

 

Did you end up installing a hitch? I am about to buy the one from torkliftcentral; even if they say it is for the PP 2017 to 2019 model, it should fit as well. Anyone has it for the PP 2020?

Thanks

 

m8547 said: ↑
I have a Torklift Ecohitch 2 inch.

 

I started to fill out the web model search form and it ended up saying I could qualify for a free hitch.
Torklift Central | EcoHitch - Rear Mounted Receiver Hitches - Trailer Hitches

 

etrailer has curt drawtite
2019 Toyota Prius Prime Trailer Hitch | etrailer.com
for 2017 - 2019
and ecohitch
for 2017

call for fitment details on your year
or better yet, go under your Prime and measure.

 

Yes, but he has a 2018 Prius Prime. I wanted to make sure that the hitch fits in the 2020 model, which is not listed in torklift website (they list 2017-2019 model years). I am convinced it fits because the 2020 is mechanically identical to the previous years, but I wanted to make sure...

 

You could call them. When I bought mine they only listed the 2017 Prime, but I figured they were identical. I think they are just slow at updating their website. Hopefully they would let you return it if it happens to not fit.

 

I just called Toyota (Main Number) and they told me that the Prius XLE 2019 does not a tow capability. My problem is that I need to install an exterior lift in order to carry my wheelchair.
I saw an exterior lift that weight 300 lb and my electric wheelchair is only 76lb. Now, I found an article about Prius Hauling "Toyota has announced that it is offering the Prius with up to 1,598 pounds of towing capacity".
If anybody known anything please let me know. Thanks a Lot.

 

Towing capacity is much different than tongue weight. Usually the tongue weight should be around 10% of the towing capacity. And levered loads like bike racks and wheelchair lifts are worse than trailer tongue weight because of the leverage.

I can say from experience that even 3 bikes (30 pounds each) and a bike rack (70 pounds), around 160 lbs total, is too much for a typical sedan. The rear suspension will sag and bottom out, and the headlights will point up in the air. The Prius Prime is even worse, because it already has an additional couple hundred pounds in the trunk for the battery, so it has less capacity for additional weight on the hitch.

376 lbs is too much weight to be hanging off a hitch on a Prius. I think you need a bigger car, and you should probably look for something with around a 5,000 pound tow rating because of the leverage of the load. Ideally you can find something that allows a weight distributing hitch to be used, since that is designed for a levered load (not that you have a weight distributing hitch, it's just designed to handle the same kind of forces). Maybe a "small SUV" class vehicle with 3500 pound tow rating would be enough, but I have no experience loading those, so I can't say. I know I can feel effect of the extra weight when I'm driving my 4runner with 4 bikes on a bike rack (about 210 pounds total), and that has a 7,000 pound tow rating.

 

Toyota gave a tow rating for other markets, but not the US. The regulations covering trailers differ. In Europe, the tongue weight is 5% to 7% of the trailer weight. At most, the trailer is putting 112lbs on the back end of the Prius.

 

I am looking for a hitch that will BOLT on to a 2020 Prius Prime LTE so I can mount an Amateur Radio Antenna to it. The Antenna is too big to be put on the roof or on a Magnetic Mount... There is a special bracket which fits into the square part of the hitch and puts the antenna to the side, so the hatch can still be used...

So, if anyone has already found one that has been installed and works, please let me know...

-Jay-

 

That’s an interesting idea. Let us know if you get it hooked up and some pics.

 

Has anyone had warranty problems because of mounting a 1 1/4” receiver in order to carry a bike on a Prime?

 

Go to etrailer com and put in your car information and then you can see if they have on made for your car.

 

I think you would have driveability problems before you had damage problems. What is the lightest bike rack you can get? What is the weight of the bike. Find out the weight of the hitch receiver. What is the total? That much weight behind the rear axle will cause significant rear sag. That lightens the weight on the front wheels. It might be OK, and it might not. In any case, installing a prohibited piece of equipment has nothing to do with a warranty...you're on your own for any damage caused by the item.

 

this 2" inch is made so that you wont need a hitch riser...

2016-2021 Toyota Prius Trailer Hitch – 2inch Receiver – Gen 4 | 2017 2018 2019 2020

side note, yall really read the manual and take it like the gospel that is says don't do something to a car you purchased? wowzers, I don't!